High Point domestic violence victim speaks out, encourages others to get help

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- In the last two weeks, there have been at least two deadly cases of domestic violence in High Point -- one involving a couple and the other involving a father and son.

On Monday night, a neighborhood group called the Oakview Citizens Council held a meeting to discuss the issue along with other problems in the community.

“We feel like we are in a position to do this kind of stuff, to educate the public on some of the hot topic things that are going on within High Point,” said Jim Bronnert, the president of the Oakview Citizens Council.

Since the beginning of 2018, High Point police have responded to more than 1,500 domestic calls for service.

People from Family Services, Caring Services and the Randolph County Crisis Center spoke at the meeting to more than two dozen people about the warning signs for abuse and resource available to help.

“Emergency shelters, therapy, advocacy and help with restraining orders,” said Dare Spicer, the executive director, Randolph County Family Crisis Center. “Anything that they need that is a barrier to get away from their abuser.”

Tomicka Armstrong says she wishes she reached out for those resources sooner.

“It was traumatizing,” Armstrong said. “We were married for 19 years. I put up with a whole lot of stuff.”

She spoke to FOX8 to encourage more people in her situation to speak out.

“I've been going through this for a long time,” Armstrong said. “I wouldn't even want my worst enemy to go through this.”

Armstrong says she did reach out to Family Services two weeks before the shooting. She also got a restraining order days before the shots were fired. It did not stop her husband, but she thinks it could help other people.

“My advice is talk to somebody, don't hold it in,” Armstrong said. “Talk to somebody about it because it can get worse. Family Service, they are great people to work with, they would tell me some of the things that I would need to prepare for her to get myself to leave.”

"Don't be afraid, there is help out there, so talk about it and go and get some help. Because I thought maybe it would go away, but it never did. It got worse," she said.

If you need help, Family Service’s has a crisis hotline available 24 hours a day. Those numbers are: Greensboro (336) 273-7273 and High Point (336) 889-7273.